Benefits of Life Coaching: A Conversation with Life Coach Joda Coolidge
Life coaching has been an integral part of so many Nava clients’ success — we know how critical it is to progress to step back, examine goals, and align values. It’s a healthy part of Nava’s whole wellness model: First, Nava clients address their physical health (weight management, hormone balancing, etc). However, if clients don’t attend to their emotional health, they risk not reaping the full benefits or successfully integrating life-long changes. The Benefits of Life Coaching can also be critical for nutrition and weight management — as so many of us are emotional eaters, it takes a lot of work to get to the root.
The bottom line: Life coaching enhances your mental and physical health. We all deal with a certain amount of stress in our lives, but if we’re able to identify those sources of stress, understand what our challenges are, and develop a plan, we can truly live life at 100%.
Meet Joda Coolidge, M. Ed., CHHC, and Nava’s Director of Life Coaching, and learn more about the Benefits of Life Coaching!
Why do people seek out life coaching?
Most people come to Nava for life coaching for help with their career, relationships with others and with the self, and to design more meaning and purpose in their lives. Life coaching covers a full spectrum of life experiences and what we deal with.
It’s also complements and enhances any changes in health protocol — if you’re changing the way you eat, starting hormone therapy, or making any lifestyle change, life coaching shines a light on internal motivating factors and values, helping you seen more clearly any challenges standing in your way and how to overcome them.
What’s the difference between therapy and life coaching?
As a trained psychologist, I can say that a therapeutic model is most helpful for people stuck in a painful place or having a difficult time. In therapy, you help someone break out of a pattern or cycle— in therapy, you work to achieve the balance required to move forward in life. I like to use the analogy of riding a bicycle: With therapy, you’re learning how to get on the bike and to balance — with life coaching, you’re already capable of riding the bike, you just need help with what direction to ride in.
Life coaching, however, is most helpful for those who’ve already achieved that balance, and are looking to progress even further. With life coaching, we deal with specific goals and accountability: I often give clients “homework” and we track progress over time, whether it’s career-oriented or having to do with relationships. All of this is in service of helping people lead the lives they want to lead, and live out their dreams.
What are the short-term benefits of life coaching?
The most powerful short-term benefit, which can happen in a very productive session, is when a client successfully changes their perception of a situation. By changing your perception, you are able to move in a new direction. It’s not overnight transformation, often it’s three to four sessions of work, but changing your mindset is the key to moving forward and making progress.
Long-term benefits?
In the long-run, clients move into a happier and more fulfilling life, one that’s aligned with their values and how they define a sense of purpose. I spend a lot of time with clients asking questions that get to the root of what they truly value and how they personally define happiness — the fruits of this type of conversation is often how people start to connect the dots on what they need to do to be happiest and most fulfilled.
There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone who wants to move forward, and having the privilege of being the conduit to help them get to where they want to go. I’m deeply invested, and there’s nothing like the feeling of seeing that hard work and watching them make choices they were previously afraid to make.
We believe everyone could benefit from thoughtful, motivating life coaching. Are you ready to define your life’s stressors, create a plan going forward, and experience more fulfillment? Learn more about Nava’s approach to life coaching, and schedule your appointment.
For the best value, join NavaPreferred: For just $89/month, you’ll receive one service per month — such as life coaching, massage, acupuncture, and more holistic health treatments — plus deep discounts (up to 40%!) on other services and products. We hope you enjoyed learning about all the Benefits of Life Coaching!